Ibrahim Mahama Giving President Headache Sekou

President John Mahama must find a way of preventing his brother, Ibrahim Mahama, from frequently drawing the presidency into controversies, political activist Sekou Nkrumah has suggested. Speaking about the latest controversy involving a U.S.-flagged private jet operated by Ibrahim’s mining firm, Engineers and Planners (E&P), which recently landed in Tehran and sparked a diplomatic row between Iran and the U.S., Dr. Nkrumah said, “It’s clear that there are some people in this country who are trying to drag Ibrahim…[into controversies] to kind of create some bad impression for the President. But I think it’s also a fact that he’s taking too much centre-stage – that is Ibrahim – the President’s brother. And it’s not good for the government.” Dr. Nkrumah told XYZ Breakfast Show host, Moro Awudu, on Tuesday, that it is important Ibrahim Mahama keeps his business out of the president’s business, to spare the Mahama administration needless controversies. “I think between them, the President has to find a way of telling his brother…that, please don’t get into my business.” “I don’t know whether it is his fault or not, but I think he is taking too much centre-stage and it’s negative for the President,” Dr. Nkrumah said. Dr. Nkrumah’s suggestion follows accusations of “conflict of interest” hurled at the president for allegedly allowing his brother to lease the plane to the Flagstaff house.

International news agencies, including CNN, The New York Times and others, have quoted the Iranian Authorities as having said the plane was chartered by Ghana’s presidency and used to fly top Ghanaian officials to Iran to foster relations between the two countries. E&P insisted in a statement at the weekend that President Mahama never used the plane. It said the plane carried a business delegation to Iran and had since returned to base. The Government of Ghana has also denied the plane was chartered by the presidency to ferry a government delegation to Iran.